Chris Martin enters into his 3rd season as head baseball coach at Southwest Baptist University. Coach Martin led the 2013 Bearcats to a 20-29 record, with their win total marking the first time the program has had back to back 20 win seasons since 2005-06. The 2012 Bearcats set or tied five different single season or single game SBU records, including an MIAA conference victory total of 18. The Bearcats finished two wins shy of the MIAA post-season tournament. Landon Young was named to the All-MIAA Honorable Mention Team and Zack Winchester was named MIAA Athlete of the Week in February. The Bearcats biggest wins included defeating then #5 University of Central Missouri in late March and the programs first victory versus Missouri Southern since 2007.
Coach Martin led the 2012 Bearcats to a 21-28-1 record, tripling their win total from 2011 and posting the highest number of wins in the program since 2005. The Bearcats tied or set 11 different single season or single game SBU records. The season also produced three All-MIAA selections including 1st team catcher Drew Miller. Two Bearcats were also named to All-Region teams. Two different players earned MIAA Player of the Week honors and Drew Miller was named the NCBWA National Hitter of the Week in March. SBU’s season was punctuated with a doubleheader sweep of then #8 ranked Emporia State.
Martin’s teams have also seen success in the classroom. During the 2012-13 academic year the Bearcats compiled a cumulative 3.07 GPA and boasted a plus 3.0 GPA each semester. In the spring 28 (out of 41) athletes had a plus 3.0 GPA and a total of nine Bearcats had a 4.0 GPA in the fall or spring. In his two years, Martin has had one player named a MIAA Scholar Athlete, three players awarded the MIAA Academic Excellence Award and 38 named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. All 14 of his seniors have graduated or will graduate this year.
"Since the very day Chris took over our baseball program, he has made an immediate impact," Director of Athletics Mike Pitts stated. "In addition to success on the field with 20+ wins, our kids are in a culture where they will grow as students, leaders, and Christians. From where I sit - I'm hoping that Chris Martin is our baseball coach for many, many years to come."
Martin started his coaching career in 2007 as an assistant at SBU. He served in that capacity through 2010. Martin also played at SBU from 2002-06. He was named the MIAA Commissioners Academic Honor Roll three times and was named the Rex Brown Award recipient following his senior season.
“I've known Chris ever since he was an outstanding student at SBU,” SBU President Dr. Pat Taylor stated. “After he graduated we employed him to be a head resident director at one of
our dorms where he did an outstanding job in that role. He then moved to athletics full time and has done an excellent job. Chris has done an excellent job with everything we have asked him to do.”
Martin is originally from Iberia, MO. A 2007 graduate of SBU, Martin also received his Masters in Business Administration degree from SBU in the summer of 2009. The Martin family has a total of six degrees from Southwest Baptist University. Martin also serves as a member of the Athletics Administration team in the role of Assistant Director of Athletics/Operations.
